Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis began a milestone official
three-day visit in Ankara on Wednesday, as private talks with his
Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan dominated his first day in the
Turkish capital.

In statements to reporters, Karamanlis stressed that 2008 will be
important for strengthening relations between the two countries and
will be a "window of opportunity" to boost ties in all sectors.

Erdogan welcomed Karamanlis and pointed out that it is the first visit
by a Greek prime minister to Ankara in 49 years.

On his part, Karamanlis thanked his Turkish counterpart for the warm
welcome extended to him and said that the problems of the past must be
overcome and the two countries must seize the opportunity of the
future.

The Greek prime minister said that bilateral and international issues
were discussed and stressed that there has been considerable progress
in certain sectors, compared to the past, as he mentioned economic
relations as an example, as well as cooperation in the energy sector.

Karamanlis reiterated Greece's support for Turkey's European prospects,
noting that the European adjustment of each candidate country, as well
as of Turkey, is a difficult process, requiring great effort,
determination and commitment.

He also reiterated that Greece supports the principle of "full
adjustment, full accession" and stressed that this means that Turkey
must proceed along the path of reforms, fulfilling the criteria and the
prerequisites set by the European Union and then the EU must accept it
in the big European family - Athens' leitmotif regarding possible EU
accession for Turkey.

Speaking after their talks, which lasted for an hour more than had been
initially been scheduled, Erdogan emphasised that leaders attract
greater attention when they dare to "reject taboos", while stressing
that an intensive dialogue has begun between the two countries since
1999, and particularly over the last five years.

The Turkish prime minister further said that 2008 will also be
important for the Cyprus issue, noting that talks must be resumed, and
that the guarantor powers and "homelands" (i.e. Greece and Turkey) must
encourage.

Both prime ministers, Erdogan said, believe that the Aegean Sea must be
a "sea of peace".

"We believe it expedient for a period of cooperation and solidarity to
begin between the two sides of the Aegean. A case where the countries
are a threat for each other cannot help world peace. Whatever effort is
not aimed at peace offers no service to the world," Erdogan added.

He further said that efforts must be speeded up in sectors where no
problems exist. And on the other hand, efforts to decrease the distance
in sectors where problems do exist must be continued.

Erdogan said that the two prime ministers agreed on accelerating
preliminary talks that will also be given a content and importance.

He referred to cooperation in all sectors, particularly in energy, and
thanked Greece for supporting Turkey's European prospects.

Erdogan stressed that minorities constitute a bridge between the two
countries, noting that there is understanding to a great degree between
the two countries on resolving the problems "faced by our minorities."
He added that the foreign ministers of the two countries must resolve
these problems at a speedy pace.

"The more we try to resolve both the problems existing in western
Thrace, and the problems existing here, the more the bridge of
friendship between the two countries will be strengthened," Erdogan
said.

On his part, Karamanlis underlined that the issues of the
Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate and of the closed Halki School
of Theology are included in this European framework, while stressing at
the same time that protection of minority rights is one of the most
fundamental of European criteria.

The Greek prime minister went on to say that a full normalization of
Greek-Turkish relations remains the primary goal. He said that this is
the sole path for substantive progress that will "allow us to utilise
the opportunities presented in the European framework."

"And for our relations to be able to move substantively, he pointed out
that the sole criterion is international law and international
treaties. It is self-evident that for two countries participating in
the same alliance and that aspire to cooperate in the future, in the
framework of the same European family, there is no other path than the
peaceful resolving of whatever issue in the framework of international
legality," the Greek prime minister stressed.

Karamanlis added that both prime ministers agree that investigatory
contacts should be intensified and continued.

Lastly, regarding the thorny issue of Cyprus, Karamanlis referred to
the process agreed on July 8, 2006, whose full implementation will
lead, as he said, to a concerted effort to resolve the problem and
spoke of a just, viable and workable solution.

Replying to a question on the issue of the continental shelf,
Karamanlis said that "indeed there is a pending issue in bilateral
relations that conerns the delineation of the continental shelf and
international law and international treaties are the tools to resolve
it."

Karamanlis added that Greece has declared its readiness for resorting
to the International Court at the Hague and that a solution to this
issue will create a great momentum for improving relations between the
two countries.

The prime minister pointed out that the full normalization of
Greek-Turkish relations is the main aim and in this context, he
stressed, relations of good neighborliness are an undeviating
precondition.

He underlined at the same time that "it is inconceivable for countries
aspiring to cooperate in a European framework for tensions,
provocations or the threat of the use of force to continue remaining."

Referring to the issue of the continental shelf, the Turkish prime
minister said that 37 probing contacts have taken place so far and the
38th meeting will be taking place soon.

"The fact that the talks are lasting for so long is due to the
seriousness of the issue. It is our intention that a solution is found
to this issue, which is one of the main ones, so that such issues will
not affect relations between the two countries," Erdogan said.

On the question of Cyprus, Karamanlis mentioned that the political
problem on the island must be resolved and, at last, there should be a
reunification of the island for the benefit of all the inhabitants of
Cyprus.

Karamanlis underlined that the issue of Cyprus is an international
problem but its solution will surely help a great deal the atmosphere
in Greek-Turkish relations.

The Greek prime minister said that the framework is set by
international law, by Security Council resolutions, by the principles
of the EU, as well as by the agreement reached on July 8, 2006,
stressing that "we must seize the opportunity so that the last wall
still standing in Europe will be removed."

"We are ready to help with all our strength the effort to find a
solution based on these principles, that will be viable and workable,"
Karamanlis said.

The Greek prime minister further said that "a solution to the problem
of Cyprus is of crucial importance for Turkey's path to the EU and the
normalization of Turkey's relations with Cyprus is necessary in every
case."

The Turkish prime minister said that he places great importance on the
timetable until the elections in Cyprus, as well as after the election
process on the island, stressing that he is expecting Karamanlis to
provide an impetus for the resumption of talks.

Erdogan referred to the Annan plan and to its rejection, saying,
however, that its spirit and essence can be maintained, while
reiterating that the guarantor countries must provide encouragement so
that this issue can be resolved with talks.

On the question of the Patriarchate, Karamanlis said that the fact that
the Ecumenical Patriarchate has its seat here is a great benefit for
Turkey and it is a great "European passport" and criterion.

Erdogan said that Turkey's interest in the Patriarchate is well-known,
noting that his country has made every effort and has taken many steps,
while mentioning that the characterization ecumenical is of interest to
the Christian Orthodox world.

As regards the Halki Schol of Theology, he said that it had operated
until 1972 and then it stopped operating, adding that "we are working
on this issue, we are evaluating it and then we shall decide."

Lastly, the prime minister said that 49 years will not be necessary for
a visit to Turkey by a Greek prime minister to take place again, while
the press conference came to an end with the Turkish prime minister
saying in Greek "thank you very much." The two delegations then
attended an official dinner.

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said Wednesday that the Greek and
Turkish people should have no delusions that something good would arise
for them and for peace and stability in the region from Greek prime
minister Costas Karamanlis' official visit to Ankara, which begins
Wednesday afternoon.

On the contrary, a KKE announcement said, "they should be worried,
because the meeting (between the Greek and Turkish prime ministers) may
contribute to the development of cooperation between business groups of
the two countries, and between the governments for their more active
participation in the dangerous imperialistic planning in our region".

The KKE said that it was not incidental that absent from the itinerary
of the meeting were the major issues concerning the relations between
the two countries, such as Turkey's dispute of the status quo in the
region and Greece's sovereign rights, such as the "gray zones", the
violations of the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) and Greece's
national airspace of 10 nautical miles, Turkey's threat of casus belli
in the event that Greece made use of its right to extend its
territorial waters in the Aegean to 12 nautical miles, and the
exemptions of islands in NATO manoeuvres, etc.

The KKE called on both the Greek and Turkish peoples to strengthen
their anti-imperialism cooperation and fight, saying this was the only
way to confront the aggressive policy of the imperialistic
organizations, their antagonism and interventions that divide the
peoples in order to take advantage of them.

Every action and initiative that improves relations between Greece and
Turkey definitely have beneficial effects on the Cyprus issue, Cyprus
president Tassos Papadopoulos said Wednesday, asked to comment on Greek
prime minister Costas Karamanlis' official visit to Ankara, where the
Greek premier was due to arrive later in the day for talks with the
Turkish government.

Papadopoulos confirmed that he had spoken by phone with Karamanlis and
that, in full cooperation, the Greek prime minister was advancing the
well-known positions of the Greek side.

Asked whether the groundwork was conducive for taking advantage of any
gesture by Karamanlis towards his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, Papadopoulos said that, in order for there to be a conducive
atmosphere, the desire of both sides was necessary.

"Our position is simple and clear, namely that every action, every
initiative that improves Greece-Turkey relations certainly has
beneficial effects on the Cyprus issue as well," Papadopoulos said.

The United States on Wednesday hailed Greek Prime Minister Costas
Karamanlis' visit to Turkey.

State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said "we have always
believed it's very important for our two good friends and NATO allies,
Greece and Turkey, to be able to work with one another and to be able
to work through some of the differences, historical and otherwise, that
they've had.

"Certainly we welcome any and all diplomatic contacts and certainly
view this visit as an opportunity for our two good friends to be able
to get together and continue their dialogue and discussions."

Asked on U.S.-Greek relations the spokesman said:

"The relationship between our two countries is the best it's been in
decades. And we have excellent relations with the prime minister and
foreign minister, and are grateful to both for their strong support of
a closer U.S.-Greece alliance during their time in office."

Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) are in the
midst of a negotiation process taking place under the aegis of the
United Nations to find a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of
FYROM's name, alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros said
on Wednesday.

He had been asked to respond to statements by FYROM's Foreign Minister
Antonio Milososki, who said his country would "terminate" the 1995
interim agreement with Greece if Athens decided to veto FYROM's
accession to NATO.

Regarding other statements by Milososki on this issue, particularly his
assertion that the Greek government was using the name issue to divert
attention from domestic scandals, Antonaros said that this had been
replied by the Greek foreign ministry, which had urged Skopje's state
and political leadership to declare whether they backed the "tone and
manner" of Milososki's statements.

Greece objects to FYROM using the name 'Macedonia' on historical
grounds and because it is also the name of a northern Greek province
that shares a border with FYROM, claiming that it could give rise to
future expansionist claims on its territory. In neighbouring FYROM, the
country's Slav majority see the name as an issue of identity and
stability.

The Interior Ministry's bill on the amendment of electoral law
3231/2004 was passed by Parliament's plenum on Wednesday.

The government majority was in favour while the opposition parties
voted against it.

Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos defended the bill, stressing the
need "for political and governmental stability with the maintenance of
the proportional representation system," while he noted that the
government "does not proceed in opportunistic changes of the electoral
law and this is why it brings it to the start of its tenure."

Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) leader Alekos Alavanos criticised the
government terming it "hostage and subservient of big foreign and local
interests."

Alavanos claimed that "we live at the end of the era of
bipartisanship," adding that "there is an alignment and identity of
views between the two big parties in order for this system to be kept,
and on this basis, the electoral laws of the (ruling) New Democracy
party and (the main opposition) PASOK are being introduced."

In his reply, Pavlopoulos said, "Don't be sure Mr. Alavanos that what
helps a party is the electoral law. It's not the electoral law which
helps, but life itself."

Pavlopoulos also criticised PASOK, charging it that "it escaped from
the revised process, invoking a coup vote, because those days PASOK was
rattled domestically over Article 16."

New Democracy (ND) party rapporteur Constantine Gioulekas noted that
the government, "brings at the beginning of its tenure an electoral law
which makes clear the terms of the political game, thus overturning
practices of the past with petty party logic."

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) rapporteur Spyros Halvatzis noted that
his party "categorically rejects the theories regarding stable
governments because their final target is for the European Union's
policy in favour of big interests to continue at length."

Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou and interior minister
Prokopis Pavlopoulos crossed swords in parliament on Tuesday night,
during a debate on amendment of the electoral law.

Papandreou called the Constitutional revision process "dead", and
proposed the commencement, with the agreement of all the political
parties, of a new revisionary procedure focusing mainly on a national
plan to combat corruption and aiming at the autonomy of the country's
political life.

Responding to Papandreou's statements, Pavlopoulos rejected his
proposal as "barren and unconvincing", and accused PASOK of being at a
loss and sacrificing "this top parliamentary procedure" on the altar of
its internal problems because "it lacks positions and also because it
fears the voting".

Ruling New Democracy (ND) party Panos Panagiotopoulos also accused
PASOK of "opting for the easy, barren and dangerous path in order to
cover its internal problems, which have relapsed recently".

Replying to Papandreou's proposal for a new revisionary process,
parliament president Dimitris Sioufas said that, although he would not
comment on the content of the proposal, he nevertheless bore the
responsibility, as president of Parliament, to point out that the
present parliament was a Revisionary Parliament based on the vote of
the Greek people (in the last general elections, which re-elected the
ND government, with Constitutional revision being one of the main
objectives in its platform).

He explained that the Constitution contained provisions in the event of
inability of the revisionary, according to which a new revisionary
process may be commenced after completion, with the revant voting, of
the current revisionary procedure.

Papandreou replied that his proposal aimed at Greece's exit from the
political impasse, which he said downgraded the institutions and
Parliament.

On the Zachopoulos affair, Papandreou launched a personal attack
against prime minister Costas Karamanlis, calling him "weak, dependent,
and a hostage", and earned that the government was slipping onto a
danger road of corruption and decadence.

Pavlopoulos replied that the prime minister was not a hostage, but was
powerful and supported by the people. "He is the prime minister who
introduced a new ethos in the political life of the country, and is
neither coerced, nor coerces".

The PASOK leader also accused the prime minister and the government of
being incapable of tackling the dangerous crisis in moral values and
disdain of the institutions, at a time when the Greek citizens felt
insecure and unprotected from the 'opportunists of authority'.

Papandreou further attacked the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the
Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) over their criticism that the
two mainstream parties (ND and PASOK) were "one and the same thing",
noting that "historically, populism never benefited the Left but,
rather, the ultra Right".

The climate became even more heated when Papandreou questioned the
timing of Karamanlis' official visit to Turkey, which begins on
Wednesday, saying he had big reservations, although expressing the hope
that it would go well, drawing accusations from Pavlopoulos that the
PASOK leader, with regard to such a crucial visit, had half-heartedly
wished the prime minister a good trip, only to retract it with
insults.

Alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros on Wednesday
signalled the government's rejection of a proposal by main opposition
PASOK leader George Papandreou to stop the process of revising the
Greek Constitution and start again from scratch. According to
Antonaros, the proposal was yet another attempt by Papandreou to create
a political hubbub that would help him deal with the party's internal
problems.

"If PASOK and its leader really want to contribute to dealing with the
real problems, then they must come to Parliament and collaborate with
the revision and not be absent," Antonaros said.

The spokesman noted that Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos had
outlined in detail what needed to be done in terms of revising the
Constitution and stressed that it was essential for the revision to go
ahead. The main opposition's absence proved that it did not desire
change, he added.

Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Wednesday defended an article
in a draft election law bill that excluded party coalitions from a
10-seat bonus reserved for single parties.

"It is one thing when people set up a party and say this is true
convergence and I will govern the country and another to coalesce an
opportunist convergence in order to take over power. Shouldn't the
first be treated differently from a purely opportunist convergence that
says, on the eve of the election, I'll simply run joint tickets. Is
power a trophy?" Pavlopoulos said.

He also clarified that what he called "true coalitions" where the
parties involved produced a single, converged program that clearly
stated what they intended to do once in power would be treated as a
single party under the new law.

The particular point of the bill had been criticized by ruling New
Democracy MP and former minister Petros Tatoulis, who claimed that it
was sacrificing the Constitutional principle of the equality of each
vote in the name of governmental and political stability.

Tatoulis made it clear, however, that he would go along with his
party's choices while not giving up his right to freely express his
views.

Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) leader George Karatzaferis on Wednesday
called for the creation of a "government of personalities" to coincide
with the EuroParliament elections and attacked the government,
indirectly calling for its resignation.

Karatzaferis made the statements during a press conference in which he
said the country was "passing through a time of corruption that has
also pervaded justice".

"It is not healthy for one to see the associates of the prime minister
coming in and out of the examining magistrate's office at strange
hours. If [the head of the prime minister's press office Yiannis]
Andrianos acted on his own initiative when he took the DVD then he
should be booted out. If the government is not being blackmailed, as
the prime minister said, then why did Andrianos take the DVD,"
Karatzaferis said.

A first instance court prosecutor on Wednesday brought felony charges
against all persons responsible in the case of the attempted blackmail
of former culture ministry secretary general Christos Zachopoulos,
based on evidence collected by a special examining magistrate.

The felony charges concern the alleged blackmailing attempt against
Zachopoulos and the violation of personal data protection laws.

Zachopoulos attempted to commit suicide late last month after being
allegedly blackmailed with a DVD reportedly containing footage of a
sexual encounter with former ministry contract employee Evi Tsekou. The
attempted suicide prompted an avalanche of accusations and revelations
allegedly involving journalists and politicians and their role in the
case.

Meanwhile, Greece's most prominent television investigative reporter,
Makis Triantafyllopoulos, was the latest journalist to answer a
magistrate's questions on Wednesday regarding the simmering and now
maze-like Zachopoulos blackmailing case, an affair that has aroused
political, judicial and heightened media interest in the country.

Triantafyllopoulos, who is also listed as the co-publisher of the
Sunday weekly "Proto Thema", appeared to answer questions over the
alleged involvement of an unnamed ruling ND deputy in efforts to
"mediate" a dispute over roughly five million euros later found in a
bank account belonging to Triantafyllopoulos' partner, controversial TV
host and erstwhile newspaper columnist Themos Anastasiadis.

The President of the non-governmental organization 'Transparency
International-Greek Section', Costas Bakouris, met on Wednesday with
praise, scepticism and reactions for its activities at the
Parliamentary Transparency and Institutions Committee.

Invited by the Committee to present his organization's report on
corruption in Greece, Bakouris noted that "the institutions are in
doubt", "Parliament must regain its credibility" and "society considers
the parties as being the most corrupt institutions."

He invoked evidence contained in a survey by the organization according
to which, in relation to corruption, parties receive 4.1 out of 5,
while Parliament receives 3.4.

The president of Transparency International proposed the creation of a
"national and social alliance of integrity and transparency," a
revision of the constitution in the direction of widening social
accountability, special lessons at schools, the creation of a code of
conduct for the public sector, the members of Parliament and of the
government, a Greek index for corruption and the enactment of a
relevant annual report.

The observations made by Bakouris drew strong reaction from the
Communist Party of Greece's (KKE) representative at the Committee,
Liana Kanelli, who claimed that the specific non-governmental
organization participates in conferences with the World Bank and the
U.S. State Department, its president has made statements in favour of
"international governance". She also referred to reports appearing in
the German press and in German websites on extensive pressure exerted
by the organization on a website criticizing it.

Asked to comment on a barrage of statements exchanged by European
Commissioner for the environment Stavros Dimas and Greek Environment
Minister George Souflias over Greece's track record on climate change
and other environmental measures, alternate government spokesman
Evangelos Antonaros on Wednesday said that the government "respects the
work of the European Commission and the Commissioners".

Regarding Dimas' criticism of the environment ministry, Antonaros said
that Souflias had "answered in detail and fully adequately" and that
the environment ministry was making a massive effort to deal with the
accumulated environmental problems.

"It is well known and there have also been references by myself to
specific issues that have been dealt with and continue to be dealt with
through continual actions in which the country is lagging far behind,"
Antonaros noted, adding that the environment ministry's measures were
making up for lost time.

Likely repercussions on the European economy as a result of heightened
turbulence in international money markets, high-risk housing loans woes
in the United States and worries over the price of oil and raw
materials were examined by EU finance ministers at the ECOFIN meeting
in Brussels on Wednesday.

Greek Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis said Stability
and Development Pact issues as well as revision of state quotas in the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as the Slovenian EU
Presidency's priorities were among the topics discussed.

Alogoskoufis stated that the European economy is strong due to reforms
promoted in previous years and because of the successful implementation
of the Revised Stability and Development Pact. He added, however, that
despite indications in Europe that this is the peak of the more recent
upward trend of the economic circle "it does not mean that a change in
the direction of the economic policy is necessary."

"Fiscal Reform has to continue," Alogoskoufis said, adding that it was
agreed in ECOFIN that goals of a revised Stability and Development
Programme should be fully observed.

"Europe has the advantage of a concrete and known in advance set of
rules on the implementation of the macroeconomic policy," he said.

Alogoskoufis stated that the first round of reforms, launched in 2005,
closes with the European Council meeting in March and the new 2008-2010
round of reforms will get underway.

He underlined the risk of imported inflation, brought on by oil, raw
materials and foodstuffs prices, pointing out that it could evolve into
a problem for Europe through a spiraling increase of wages and prices.

Alogoskoufis also stated that the state revenue policy will be
announced by the end of February.

Prime minister Costas Karamanlis met Wednesday morning with economy and
finance minister George Alogoskoufis, who told reporters afterwards
that he briefed the permier on the recent Eurogroup and EU economy and
finance ministers' (ECOFIN) meetings he attended, as well as on
international economic developments.

Alogoskoufis said that although there were hazards for the US economy,
the European economy was doing very well due to the reforms being made,
and also due to the Stability Pact and the Lisbon Strategy.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip
Erdogan will be present on Friday for a convening of the Greek-Turkish
Business Forum here, on the sidelines of the Greek leader's visit to
the neighbouring country.

The forum is being jointly hosted by the Federations of Greek
Industries (SEB) and its Turkish counterparts, DEIK and TUSIAD.

Greece and China are to sign a cooperation agreement dealing with the
standardization of packaged goods in Athens on Thursday at the
development ministry. The agreement will be signed by Deputy
Development Minister Stavros Kalafatis on behalf of the Greek
government and Development Minister Christos Folias.

Representing the Chinese side will be Liu Pingjun, who runs the
Standardization Administration of the Peoples' Republic of China (SAC)
and is a senior official within the General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of
China (AQSIQ).

The body that will be responsible for carrying out the agreement will
be the Hellenic Organization for Standardization (ELOT) and the SAC.

Transport and Communication Minister Costis Hatzidakis on Wednesday
reiterated the government's decision to rapidly upgrade the public
transport system in the wider Athens region, where the number of
private cars has more than doubled over the past decade to reach 2.2
million. He was addressing the first Athens Urban Transport
Organization (OASA) meeting for dialogue on the Attica General
Transport Plan.

The minister stated that the main goals of the policy on public
transport are traffic decongestion in urban centers, easy access to the
city, safe transportation and a cleaner environment.

Hatzidakis added that appropriate planning and systematic moves through
honest and substantive dialogue are necessary to implement the goals
mentioned. He also referred to the initiatives and actions undertaken
by the ministry in this direction, such as establishing a "green
transport" committee, promotion of telematics technology, the "smart"
card that will gradually replace conventional tickets, further
extension of bus lanes and tram and electric train (HSAP) services, to
Piraeus and Aghios Stefanos respectively, and bus fleet renewal.

British Airways, celebrating the third anniversary of its direct
Thessaloniki-London flight, is offering its passengers on the route a
discounted rate of 69 euros for a one-way ticket, airport taxes
included.

The offer is good for tickets that will be issued between January 22
and February 4 via the airline's website www.ba.com <http://www.ba.com>
and applies to flights that will take place until March 31, 2008.

The British Airways direct flight linking Thessaloniki with London is
scheduled five times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday). Departure time from Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport is set
at 15:25 and arrival at London's Gatwick Airport at 17:00.

The Federation of Greek Industries and Enterprises (SEB), in a document
of principles sent to the General Confederation of Workers of Greece
(GSEE) and the GSEBEE and ESEE labor unions, highlights the need for
widening and deepening the agenda of the upcoming talks on the National
General Collective Labor Agreement to enable it to contain all aspects
composing the modern-day labor market.

The document stresses that SEB "will discuss all the issues raised by
GSEE in good faith, appearing at the negotiations with a feeling of
responsibility and with the aim of achieving their successful outcome."

However, according to the Federation, the agenda must be expanded to
enable the foundations to be laid for an integrated approach to the
labor market, with the purpose of reducing unemployment, financial
inequalities and phenomena of social exclusion.

Lastly, SEB stressed that restricting the talks to narrow union levels
"does not provide solutions and a substantive exit from the modern-day
problems of the forces of labor."

The General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE), the largest
umbrella trade union group representing private sector workers in the
country, on Wednesday decided to declare a 24-hour general strike on
February 13.

A GSEE general meeting also sanctioned the union's executive committee
to declare a further 24-hour general strike on a day of its choosing,
depending on developments concerning the demands of the workforce and
especially if the government unveils its draft bill for social
insurance and pension system reforms.

On this issue, the trade union group warned that "hardline,
anti-insurance reversals" to the system were being prepared.

The meeting also agreed to an immediate start of negotiations for a
national general collective agreement in order to demand real and
substantial wage increases that would cover an "explosion of high
prices and inflation that will have serious repercussions on the buying
power of wage earners and pensioners".

The Alpha Bank Group has announced the listing on Thursday of the first
Exchange Traded Fund on the Athens Stock Exchange, the Alpha ETF FTSE
Athex 20. This will be the first ETF on the Athens Exchange, and will
track the FTSE Athex 20 Index, composed of 20 large capitalisation
stocks.

ETFs are index-tracking mutual funds that trade like stocks and track
the return of a specific index. ETFs are essentially portfolios of
securities that allow investors easy access to a particular market. At
present, there are ETFs that track a significant number of stock
indices globally, but also ETFs that track bond indices and other
listed securities. ETFs have expanded globally on the interest of
retail and institutional investors alike, and are used as a long-term
investment vehicle just as well as for short-term trading.

Intrakat on Wednesday announced the signature of contracts with the
municipalities of Volos, Livadia and Argos to set up and operate three
metropolitan fiber-optic networks budgeted at 2.4 million euros in
total (1.33 million euros, 0.57 million euros and 0.49 million euros,
respectively).

The projects, which envisage fiber-optic networks with a total combined
length of 32.53 kilometers, are scheduled to be complete before the end
of the year and are part of the Information Society Program.

The Metka-General Electric joint venture were the lowest bidders in an
international tender for the construction of a 850MW power station in
Petrobrazi, Romania, the Greek construction company announced on
Wednesday.

The tender was held by the company Petrom SA, a subsidiary of the
multinational OMV-Austria.

Negotiations to finalize the terms of the contract begin in Vienna on
Thursday and are expected to be concluded in three weeks. Metka
clarified that while the negotiations are underway, the company will
not be in a position to disclose any further details regarding its
offer or the contract.

The Athens Medical S.A. group on Wednesday announced the inauguration
of its eighth clinic in Attica, the Athens Medical Peristeri Clinic, by
Health and Social Solidarity Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos.

The group said that the clinic was the most modern hospital unit in
western Attica and CEO Vassilis Apostolopoulos told reporters that the
10-million-euro investment completed the group's five year business
plan.

The new business plan to be announced in the first trimester of 2008
will outline the group's further expansion in Greece and abroad, he
added.

Greek stocks ended Wednesday's session dramatically down for a second
straight day, following pressure on most international markets, with
the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) losing 3.63 percent during trading.

The composite index ended at 4,098.75 points with turnover a heavy
603.9 million euros, of which 33.8 million were block trades.

Greek futures contract prices ended mixed in the Athens Derivatives
Exchange on Wednesday, with turnover remaining a strong 268.004 million
euros. The March contract on the FTSE 20 index was traded at a premium
of 1.07 pct and the February contract on the FTSE 40 index at a
discount of 0.46 pct.

Volume in futures contracts on the Big Cap index totaled 19,769
contracts worth 222.969 million euros, with 27,907 open positions in
the market, while on the Mid Cap index volume was 284 contracts worth
6.950 million euros with 439 open positions.

Turnover in the Greek electronic secondary bond market amounted 1.054
billion euros on Wednesday, amidst a mini-crash in international
capital markets, of which 414 million euros were buy orders and the
remaining 640 million were sell orders. The 10-year benchmark bond
(July 20, 2017) was the most heavily traded security with a turnover of
309 million euros, followed by the 5-year bond (115 million euros). The
yield spread between the 10-year Greek and German bonds stood at 0.39
pct, with the Greek bond yielding 4.27 pct and the German Bund 3.88
pct.

Pope Benedict has invited Patriarch Theodoros of the Orthodox Church of
Alexandria and All Africa to visit the Vatican, in a letter delivered
by the Roman Catholic Church's Nuncio in Cairo, Bishop Michael
Fitzgerald.

In the same letter, the Pope describes the meeting he will have with
Theodoros as "important and significant".

During the visit, the Patriarch will also meet with the president of
the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Walter
Kasper.

The National and the Kapodistrias University of Athens and specifically
Dr. Athina Linou, assistant professor at the university's medical
school, presented here on Wednesday the results of the DIRERAF program
which concerns the indexes of public health in Europe and the
registration of the environmental and labor dangers in agriculture and
fishing.

The DIRERAF program is a European effort which was promoted after a
Greek initiative, regarding the growth of a harmonised system of
reference to the labour and environmental dangers in the sector of
agriculture, stockbreeding and fisheries.

As stated by Linou, who is responsible for the programme, the major
problem in Europe and more so in Greece, is the underestimation of the
problem, due to the lack of data, the multiple social insurance
coverage and part time employment which is observed in the specific
sectors.

The DIRERAF programme proposes a European system of observance with
harmonised statistical data which will be based on a common collection
with the assurance of the quality of the data.

The programme is financed by the European Commission's General
Directorate for Public Health and the Protection of Consumers and by
the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation.

A court in Thessaloniki, central Macedonia, on Wednesday sentenced a
47-year-old German national to life imprisonment after being found
guilty for the death of his 54-year-old German companion, whose body he
had kept for about two months in an apartment in the district of
Asprovalta in Thessaloniki.

The couple had been living together since 2001 and had been staying in
Greece since April 2006. They had often consumed large quantities of
alcohol, while the state of the woman's health had been bad due to a
liver condition she had been experiencing as a result of the frequent
consumption of alcohol.

In early December 2006, the couple, being under the influence of
alcohol, had quarreled and the man had assaulted the woman, resulting
in multiple fractures. Her death had probably occurred two days later,
while her body was discovered in February in the apartment where they
had been staying in Aprovalta.

During this time, the man had been placing flowers and dolls next to
her body and had been pouring chlorine and perfume on the floor to
cover the stench from her body.

According to police investigations, during the period that his
companion had been dead, the man had been withdrawing small amounts of
money from the account in which her pension was being deposited.

Speaking in court, the man said that he is facing psychological
problems and admitted pushing the woman during a quarrel, resulting in
her injury.

A court in Hania on Wednesday unanimously found a 34-year-old British
man not guilty by reason of temporary insanity in the death of his
6-year-old son, during the former's failed suicide attempt in August
2006. However, the court ordered that he be committed to a psychiatric
ward, after ruling that Hogan remains a threat to society.

The first instance felony court, comprised of three judges and four
jurors, accepted an earlier recommendation by the case's prosecutor.

John Hogan stood accused of killing his six-year-old son and injuring
his infant daughter when he leapt off a Cretan resort hotel's
fourth-floor balcony near the eastern resort town of Ierapetra.

Hogan's ex-wife told the court on Monday that a vicious row between the
couple erupted just prior to Hogan leaping off the 12.7-metre drop with
his two children in his arms.

Based on the initial report of two state-appointed psychiatrists that
examined Hogan by prosecutor's order, a judge had ordered his
incarceration in the Korydallos (Athens) penitentiary's psychiatric
ward until the time of his trial. Hogan reportedly attempted to take
his own life once again in Korydallos and his attorney, in fact, said
his client attempted to commit suicide on four different occasions.

According to police, two people, aged 29 and 39, were arrested in the
municipality of Neapolis following a search in their car that revealed
small amounts of cocaine and heroin.

Police also found 3,706 grams of heroin, a small quantity of cocaine
and a loaded handgun after searching an apartment shared by three
Albanian nationals, two 22-year-olds and a 31-year-old who were taken
into custody.

Police in Karditsa on Wednesday announced the discovery of an illegal
hoard of antiquities that a 54-year-old resident of the area had stored
in his house. The find consisted of a treasure trove of
Hellenistic-era, Roman and Byzantine coins, ancient pottery, various
copper and silver objects and jewelry of various eras that
archaeologists said were covered by protection of antiquities laws.

The coins included 458 copper coins of the Hellenistic-Roman era, two
silver coins from the Hellenistic-Roman period, 153 copper coins of
Byzantine extraction and 151 silver coins from Europe as well as four
silver coins dating from the Ottoman Empire and six copper coins from
the Ottoman Empire. There were also 114 ancient artifacts made of
copper and three of silver.

The police search also uncovered five undeclared metal detectors and
bags for storing coins.

Unidentified individuals attacked with stones the offices of ruling New
Democracy (ND) party and ND youth organization, ONNED, in Thessaloniki
causing material damage.

According to police, the front glass door of the apartment building in
the Old City district, where the ONNED offices are housed, was smashed
in an overnight attack. A second similar incident was recorded ten
minutes later in the municipality of Triandria targeting the local ND
offices.

Meanwhile, an incendiary device made of propane canisters caused minor
damage to the main entrance of the Triandria City Hall building in the
early morning hours Wednesday.

The Federation of South African Greeks has donated two firefighting
vehicles and 162,000 euros as humanitarian aid for areas of the
Peloponnese devastated by wildfires last August 2007.

The announcement was made by the Federation President Manolis
Rodakanakis during an event held in honor of visiting Greek Foreign
Deputy Minister Theodoros Kassimis.

Rodakanakis said that entrepreneurs and private individuals responded
to fire-ravaged villages' call for assistance.

Kassimis expressed his thanks for the surprise announcement, stressing
that "we Greeks are always together in bad times and that's the power
of our nation."

The firefighting vehicles will be delivered to Greece in early March,
with a handover to come during a special ceremony held in the central
Peloponnese city of Tripolis (Arcadia prefecture), in the presence of
the Federation's presidium.

Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos has said that after the signing
of the strategic partnership agreement between the UK and Turkey, the
Cypriot government conveyed the message to London that the status of
the Sovereign British Bases (SBA) in Cyprus was under reconsideration.

Replying to questions regarding the problems for the funding of
businesses within the SBA areas, President Papadopoulos said there was
a problem with the introduction of the euro in the Bases, since the UK
has not entered the Eurozone, adding that efforts for the acquis
communautaire to apply to the Bases were continuing.

''We recently had the negative development regarding the signing of the
strategic agreement between England and Turkey, and we have notified
the English that the whole pattern of the relations of the Bases, the
status of the Bases, the status of Cypriot citizens and the treaties
are, on our side, under reconsideration,'' he said.

Cyprus gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1960.
Britain, Greece and Turkey were the guarantors of Cyprus' independence
under the 1960 Treaty and since then Britain has retained two military
bases on the island.